GSA testing carbon analysis tool

By Rutrell Yasin

Apr 21, 2009

Cambridge, Md. – The General Services Administration is testing carbon analysis footprint software from Noblis that could eventually be used by federal agencies to benchmark and reduce carbon emissions.

“We want to make [the software] available so federal agencies” can better measure greenhouse gas emissions in their facilities, said John Johnson, assistant commissioner with the General Services Administration.

For instance, the baseline analysis could give agency IT and facility managers information on how to more effectively deploy power management software to reduce carbon emissions, he said. He spoke about the model software after a session on green IT yesterday at IRMCO 2009 held this week by GSA in Cambridge, Md.

The model software resulted from Noblis officials' efforts to measure the effectiveness of the organization’s recycling efforts, said Amr ElSawy, president and chief executive officer of Noblis. Last year, for instance, the organization recycled 57 tons of equipment, including cell phones, computers, dry cell batteries and other electronic devices, he said.

Noblis analysts developed the total emission analytics process that allows managers to establish benchmarks for everything that might affect carbon emissions from what equipment they buy to how computers are operated, ElSawy said.

“Along the way we were able to save 23 percent of our electricity utility bill,” by deploying these benchmarks, ElSawy said during the green IT session.

The carbon footprint analysis software is Web-based and adheres to American National Standard Institute protocols, ElSawy said.